Custom ROM reviews - UPDATED 02/14/10

[Guest compnird]

I have gone through all of the ROMs that I know exist. As these ROMs are updated I will update my reviews.

Also note the Heavy use addendum to the flash_amdzero_23518_v2.nb0 Mobile Shell ROM on 02/14/10

To help with making this a streamlined and live document, my request out to the community at this moment in time is this:

Cookers: Please document changes you make and stick to a version system that is logical. A change-log that details why Version 3.5 is different from 3.4 should be available and should sequentially show changes from 1.0 to current, dates are a good thing to add. I will only review major changes in ROM loads so if you make a fundamental change then move up the primary number, a small bugfix would be the minor number.

Make sure that you have at least a basic reason for more than one ROM, maybe this one has TellMe, MS Voice and Google Maps cooked in and the other doesn't, I've seen some chefs that don't note, or make clear, the difference in their multiple ROMs.

Additionally, please post a note if you are working on a revision, I may hold off a review until you have released it. Set an expectation for the release date so that the community isn't waiting forever.

My Peers: Flashers, users and those just curious which ROM to flash for the first time, we are in the same boat. Which ROM is best for ME? I write documents to benefit people in their day to day lives and not everyone has the time or patience to try each and every one of the cooked up ROMs that are available. But, I do. If you have something that you want to make sure I test, please post it below or PM me and I will make a great effort to ensure this is passed back to you directly or noted in the reviews.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to passing on what I believe will be helpful information not only for choosing a ROM but for the chefs to know what other people think of their work.

About my testing:

Baseline: I use Microsoft Exchange configured on phone for my e-mail/contacts/calendar – Microsoft My Phone restores my ringtones, photos and text messages. I do not sync with a computer. Google Maps V4.0 is essential to me for the Traffic layer and I just started using Buzz layer. I have an 8GB Class 6 MicroSD card with a .cab repository for applications/configurations and a Music folder with MP3, M4a and FLAC files. ‘My Storage’ holds a Media folder with DivX and MP4 videos. Any application installs are directed to ‘Device’ unless otherwise noted. Tom-Tom is its own MicroSD card. IGo is installed to ‘My Storage’.

Settings made immediately: The absolute first step is getting real world data into the device; contacts, calendar, text messages, etc. Adjust the font size to pretty darn small. I have good eyes; I don’t need old lady font sizes.

Tests are performed at my desk which has 2-3 bars of EVDO (3G), unless otherwise noted the data connections go over cell.

I use GPS applications to judge overall performance as these can be very memory and resource hungry (especially iGO 8 with the 3D maps and Buildings enabled). I reboot the phone in between each test and run no other applications while I am doing those tests. I still have yet to understand why some ROMS can reel in 9 or 10 satellites while others only see 3 or 4, I test from the exact same location within a 1 meter perimeter (my desk). Google Maps initial test is with only aGPS (cell tower triangulation) and later using the onboard GPS chip for a better location fix. I am in a 2 story steel framed building on the second floor and with a Garmin Nuvi (SirfStarIII) can see 10 satellites in winter and 12 in the summer.

Edited February 15, 2010 by compnird

[Guest compnird]

Current Progress: Resting.

Currently used ROM: Stock Verizon. (I used AMDZero 23518 Rom with MobileShell over the weekend)

TESTED- Reviewed -Yardi4life- 28223 (Flash-yadie-23529-02.nb0), 23529 (flash_yadie_28233_O2.nb0)

TESTED- Reviewed -Ninja4hire Black/Blue i920 ROM(21863)(ninja4hire_21863_v3m.nb0), Ninja4hire_Win7_21863_v1 from XDA (ninja4hire_win7_21863_v1.nb0)

TESTED- In Depth Review -AMDZero 23518 Rom with MobileShell (flash_amdzero_23518_v2-msp.nb0) and AMDZero's 23518 ROM V1 (flash_amdzero_23518_v1.nb0)

TESTED- Reviewed - Shemmy's 23518 Lite ROM (rev2.5.nb0)

From XDA these will be tested later:

CDMA lightweight ROM 21863 by radioman96p71

If anyone knows of other locations for ROMS please post. I have looked in OmniaRom.com and Samsung-Omnia.com but only Modaco and XDA have anything worth noting.

Edited February 15, 2010 by compnird

[Guest compnird]

Flash-yadie-23529-02.nb0 – Loaded on 2/10/10

Note: I started with this ROM because it seemed the best fit of what I desire in a cooked ROM, most of the necessary base functions but the Verizon garbage removed along with unnecessary items. And, you have to start somewhere right?

After loading the ROM, XDA_UC killed my data connection so I had to fix this. I assume the bug is with the program as it seems to occur with some of the other custom ROMS on the Omnia 2. This was documented on the chef’s posting page along with how to fix.

After syncing up Exchange for e-mail, contacts and calendar I have 233.02MB free Storage and 74.30 free Program.

The first thing I notice about this ROM is that the Dialer does not fit in the screen. Since 6.5.3 places the start bar at the bottom of the screen this may be part of the issue but the size of the screen space for the Samsung dialer to fit into should not have changed. Functionality is still there but this is a severely annoying glitch.

The second thing I notice is that Microsoft’s My Phone is not installed. My opinion, if you leave Marketplace in the ROM you should leave in My Phone and vice versa.

After MyPhone the next application I installed was Google Maps v 4.0. Everything ran like a champ and my position was triangulated within seconds.

The first inbound text message took a while to actually show correctly. It arrived while the phone was locked and completely locked up the lock screen. I had to reboot the phone to finally get into my text messages. MMS seemed to work fine after the reboot. I still do not like the Microsoft way of putting the MMS in with the SMS… I like them separate.

My first e-mail message revealed to me the most glorious version of Pocket Outlook I have ever seen. The ‘Conversations’ function is freaking AWESOME… threaded e-mail is genius. But, this has more to do with the specific build of the OS than the ROM. It’s worth mentioning this though as I really like this version of the OS.

During testing the Windows lock screen came up. I used the opportunity to “butt dial” and was able to launch the camera by pressing the Camera button. This sucks battery quickly but I was not able to force it to make a phone call. Because of the limitations in MS, I still prefer the Samsung lock screen. You can use the MS Lock screen by pressing Start and then tapping the lock icon on the start bar. Or use the Samsung version using the hardcoded Lock button.

Software:

I enabled Wi-Fi and then uploaded a photo to Facebook using the ‘communities’. Seems to work as expected.

I went into the Omnia Apps folder, very nice in separating these by the way, and it renders a well planned out menu. I set up my Communities and Connected Home, these both worked flawlessly. The Search function in the ‘My Pictures’ seemed to load up a lot faster than I am used to. Launched ‘Media Player’ and did a search for my media files. It found everything I have in an expected amount of time.

To test the GPS I first went into the Settings, which is easy to find unlike the Stock ROM, and then External GPS. Verified the COM port and the Automatic settings are checked.

GPS test 1: Google Maps, set to ‘Use GPS’ but zero satellites found. Manually set to Com6-57, 6 baud and then tried again. Immediately 4 satellites were locked in and pulled in my exact position.

GPS test 2: Tom-tom Navigator 7 – Launched and by the time I got to the “status” menu option I had a solid lock on 4 satellites and quickly obtained 3 more.

GPS Test 3: iGO (My Way) 8 launched quickly and was immediately locked into my position. The 3D maps and building structures render quickly and without issue.

Next I launched an eBook in PDF format and it rendered just fine and I was able to flip through the pages quickly and without delay.

Fit and Finish:

The defaulted stone wallpaper looks marvelous on the AMOLED screen. The overall Black theme looks good and is more or less pretty standard. The layout is mostly Microsoft stock as opposed to Samsung stock.

When you tilt the phone the screen orientation changes when you want it to. This is cooked in functionality that should have been in the stock load.

Screen response seems normal, which is above par for some touchscreen phones and devices I use.

The fact that you have both Samsung and the Microsoft settings menus is nice. Removing an installed application was cumbersome in the stock build.

flash_yadie_28233_O2.nb0 – Loaded 02/10/10

Since this ROM’s only differentiation is the Windows version I will only try and define what is different here:

Difference #1: Office Mobile is the slightly older version instead of the 2010.

Difference #2: Outlook is the typical version, no “conversation” function here.

Memory Use after loading the basics: 244.86 Storage and 69.31 Program.

Other than these basic things everything else seems the same as the 23529 build. Of the two, I prefer 25329 because of the newer office version (which can be installed via Marketplace or downloaded CAB if desired) and the much better Outlook.

ninja4hire_21863_v3m.nb0 loaded 02/10/10

The first thing I notice with this ROM is that the “tap screen to setup Windows” comes up and required screen calibration. This is very stock-like; I personally do not mind it. WakeUpOnSMS.exe and Utils.dll are both asking for permissions to run on boot up after screen config and XDA_UC run, I tap yes to allow. Nothing but a black screen, Start is not mapped correctly and shows an error. After a reboot I had a black blank screen for a while. Start button was in top left (6.5) but gave an error when tapped. I shut down the phone completely and restarted. Same result.

I re-read the notes and see that this is a known issue. It seems that Touch Wiz was removed but is still loading in some way. I followed the instructions to disable Touch Wiz but this did not help. You have to also go into Start > Settings > Home and check ‘Windows Default’ under items.

After real world data is synced up, I have 220.01 Storage 79.10 Program

After finally working out the kinks and getting the phone running, the first thing I notice is that it is based on Windows Mobile 6.5.0 so nearly everything looks more or less stock.

The Dialer looks and feels the way it should and fits on the screen, but this is likely because it’s 6.5.0 and the start bar is on the top.

Google Maps installed but seemed sluggish starting up. It did not lock in on my location for several minutes.

Text/MMS/E-mail all perform identical to how the stock build does. Same is true with the Media Player, its stock Touch Player but seems to search a little faster than normal. My pictures loaded up and found all my images in a much shorter time than I am used to seeing.

Software:

After first enabling Wi-Fi, it did not see my network. I rebooted and the network showed up.

The External GPS menu function is missing, I had to enable GPS under Start -> Settings -> Phone -then select GPS and set the settings to Always On.

GPS Test 1: I launched Google Maps and it took a solid 10 minutes to get a GPS fix of 4 satellites.

GPS Test 2: Tom –Tom took 5 minutes just to launch. This is longer than normal. The GPS fix was a lot faster than in Google Maps. I had a 6 satellite fix by the time I got into the status screen.

GPS Test 3: iGo 8 launched with a message asking if GPSTMC.DLL can enable. I tapped yes for Allow. I had 6 satellites in view by the time I got to the status.

A PDF e-book launched fairly quickly but the pages with illustrations rendered much slower than I am used to.

Fit and Finish:

I like where this is going. The lock screen wallpaper is very nice looking. The black theme is pretty typical but well done so far.

The Start menu is a little cluttered up, setting up folders to group the applications therein would be nice.

The initial steps that are required to get this ROM working are a pain.

The interface is still Windows Mobile 6.5, which is either a positive or a negative in your book.

You will have to configure your own screen orientation settings as flipping the phone sideways will not rotate the screen in most cases and the orientation application didn’t appear to be installed.

 

ninja4hire_win7_21863_v1.nb0 loaded on 02/10/10

Same as the V3 build by ninja4hire but with the ultra slick Windows Mobile 7 Titanium layout by Ibrythhill on XDA. I really like this menu layout, its very slick and worth checking out.

Everything else was identical to the above review.

flash_amdzero_23518_v1.nb0 loaded on 02/11/10

After loading real world data I have Program 71.90 and Storage 232.28

The same as with the Ninja4Hire ROMs I had to disable the Touch Wiz and enable Windows default. I hope these kinks can be resolved soon.

The windows build is 23518 so you have the marvelous “conversations” feature in Outlook.

This ROM is using a trial version of PhoneEx as the dialer. I would say it’s an adequate dialer but some of the functions are annoying, specifically the contacts screen doesn’t open up to reveal the numbers, addresses and other information, you have to toggle left/right to select a number only and then you can dial them. It’s’ pretty’ but not for me. Glad to see that V2 lists PhoneEx as being removed.

I really like that the Music line in the main menu was tied to Media Player and not the WMP as many others are. Although I would also like to see the default line set to Time/Date, so that when you hit the End key it returns to that home line. This build defaults to the top-most line ‘Photos’.

Google Maps installed and immediately came up with my location. I am not sure why some builds have such snappy response and some have sluggish but this was the fastest out of the bunch for pulling up my initial location.

SMS/MMS and E-Mail all work as expected. I like the MUCH larger icons that are used for the in-line MMS; it makes it a little easier to open a Picture message without needing the stylus. Outlook, as mentioned, has the threaded mode which I like.

Software:

PhoneEx needs to go (which it has in V2). I’d rather a gimped version of Samsung’s dialer than this.

The Windows ‘Settings’ menu is not in the Start menu so I was unable to easily check the External GPS settings or ensure it was enabled for use by applications. The next method is in the Samsung Menu , go into General Settings > GPS and then Location, set to ‘Location On’.

To show the difference I also did the usual tests with ‘911 only’ mode, this would be the case with any of the ROMS.

“Location ON”:

GPS Test 1: Google maps snapped right up and loaded all of my layers quickly and without any lag. The aGPS got me in the general area quickly but it took about 5 minutes to obtain a fix of 6 satellites with ‘Use GPS’ option enabled, while it was seeking my location it bounced me all over the place, even showing me briefly in some unpronounceable tiny country near Russia. (Solar Flare?)

GPS Test 2: Tom-Tom launched without delay and zeroed in on my location after about 1 minute. Within seconds of the fix I had 8 satellites locked and 2 more almost locked. The most I can get in my current location is 10 so it saw them all.

GPS Test 3: iGO 8 was a little sluggish launching and rendered the maps and buildings a lot slower than I am used to. I verified that no other applications were running but I had to disable the 3D maps to navigate with some form of response. I immediately had 9 satellites in view (green) and a 10th on the horizon (yellow).

“911 only” mode, this test done to show why I enable the location:

GPS Test 1: Google Maps v4, set to Use GPS. Sits at Seeking GPS satellites (0) for 15 minutes before I go in and set it to Manual. Set to Manual mode, COM 6 and 57,6 baud. Another 20 minutes of seeking and a GPS fix is never made.

GPS Test 2: Tom-Tom starts up with a ‘No GPS device’ screen. After setting to Manual mode and pointing to the correct port I got a ‘Poor GPS signal’ and viewing the signal bars not a single satellite is in view.

GPS Test 3: iGo 8 launches very quickly but it’s likely because it showed ‘No GPS device connected’. Made manual settings and waited 10 minutes. Never got a fix.

Fit and Finish:

The overall feel of this ROM is good. I like the graphical improvements made to things like Folder icons and the MMS icon is large which allows for easier viewing of a new picture message.

The task bar appears to be a Lisbian variant and looks good for the default theme that was used. The large icons are not the Windows default but the Samsung version. I think the MS version would fit with the theme a little better than the charcoal grey of Sammy’s. I disabled “large icons” to get the windows default and it looks more fluid with this ROM.

The reversal of the standard Black background with White text was a welcome change and I left it this way throughout my testing. The Titanium Menu was well thought out but the Start Menu is missing access to the Windows settings menus which I am glad to see others are including.

Swype is missing from this ROM, I prefer it but the old Samsung XT9 was included and has a nice look.

Spam alert serves its function as a dialer but I do not like it. I moved on to Version 2 when I got tired of using it.

 

flash_amdzero_23518_v2-msp.nb0 loaded 02/11/10 (I added –msp to the filename)

Heavy Use from 2/12/12 through 2/14/10

After the first boot up the entire phone locked up, HARD. I could not get anything to run so I pulled the battery.

After starting up from the hard lock I was presented with a well configured Mobile Shell main screen. I tapped weather to configure for my area and immediately received a ‘Voice Command has quit due to low memory’ error message.

The initial Sync to Exchange took much longer than normal. After hot syncing with Exchange I had 133.25 free Storage and 67.53 free Program.

Swype is included in this version of amdzero’s rom.

The first thing I noted is that the windows lock screen is being used. The lockscene looks very nice and the slide to unlock is where I like it, at the bottom. The Camera button does not seem to launch the camera application while it’s in lock mode. Only complaint is the lack of calendar info in the middle but otherwise, well done!

The Samsung Dialer is used and actually fits properly on the screen. Kudos.

AMDzero is still using the 23518 build of Windows Mobile 6.5.3 so the Outlook is the newer version with ‘Conversations’ being the default setting.

For running SPB’s Mobile Shell, which is a resource hog, the regular phone functions and SMS/MMS/E-Mail all run really well with snappy results and smooth scrolling through contacts. All of the menu items I expect to have access to are at my fingertips, partly due to Mobile Shell.

Google Maps installed and snapped in place without a skip in its step. My location was triangulated in what I would guess to be about 1 second. All the layers rendered fast.

The first lag I’ve seen on this build was when the phone locked with Google Maps running. Pressing the unlock button and sliding the bar to unlock was a little sluggish but not terrible.

UPDATE:

I used this particular ROM for a full weekend and here are some additional findings; The ROM performed quite well overall but had a few quirks that led me to re-load the Stock ROM.

Bad News first:

#1 Most, but not all, incoming phone calls had no audio. I could not hear anything on the other side nor could anyone hear anything on my side. I never had the problem when I placed a call however so had to call almost every inbound call back.

#2 Bluetooth would not keep my profiles. I have 3 bluetooth headsets plus my car and had to re-associate every time. I could not for the life of me figure this one out... maybe it's due to the abundance of devices but I didn't have any issues with the Stock ROM.

#3 Over time the Swype keyboard slowed to a crawl. Text messages or web input take a while for the Swyped input to return a word or possible word list.

The Good news:

#1 SPB Mobile Shell rocks. The 3D text messaging works for viewing inbound texts. The overall menu is just easy and smooth. Could be this was the reason a few other things ran slow but it made this phone downright easy to use. I am a huge fan!

#2 S2U2 lock. After some suggestions from AMD Zero I discovered the full functionality of this application. It's phenomenal! Once you get the hang of it and know what it's capable of you realize just how awesome it is.

#3 Battery Life. I own a primary and backup battery due to my constant use of the phone, I usually go through at least one battery a day. I actually went all day Friday and most of Sat morning on a single battery. That is something, I am a heavy user! Internet, Music, Phone, Text... etc. I USE this phone. Somehow this ROM eked out a bit more than normal from the battery.

Software:

Mobile Shell Pro is a nice program. I actually bought a license for it when I was on my Omnia i910 and MSP was at 3.0. I think the skin you are using is called Touch Sence or something like that but I do like the look and feel. I usually use MSKip but this is just as ‘pretty’ as well as functional.

GPS Test 1: Google Maps picked up 6 satellites within 5 seconds. No need to manually set the port info, it just found it. Everything was snappy and performed well

GPS Test 2: Tom-Tom would not find the GPS using ‘internal GPS’ setting, I had to set the COM port and baud. After doing so I immediately saw 6 solid satellites and within a moment or two had 7 good signals with one more that was weak. An issue I noticed on this but no other ROMs is that the lock screen comes up and kills Tom-Tom. The application completely dies and you have to re-start it. The Tom-Tom settings are set to prevent the lock screen from coming on but it still did.

GPS Test 3: iGo 8 launched very fast and had a lock on 8 satellites as soon as it was open, one more was showing weak. The 3D terrain and buildings all rendered fast and without a hiccup.

The lock screen comes on while GPS is running despite settings that should prevent this. The application does not die like Tom-Tom did though.

Fit and Finish:

Overall I have to say that this ROM is my favorite so far. Mobile Shell was cooked in very well and the overall look and feel of how things were done was more than acceptable. The Microsoft and Samsung settings are both in the Start menu (even though Mobile shell has all that already). The slide-to-unlock lock screen was well done but seems to take over no matter what you are doing.

The drab Samsung Large icons didn’t seem to look right in the colorful menu so I disabled them in favor of the Microsoft ones.

So far this ROM is the front runner in my opinion. I think if this base gets a sibling without the Mobile Shell cooked in that a lot of folks will be covered.

rev2.5.nb0 loaded on 02/11/10

After flashing you will need to run through the Align Screen function. The Phone SEND key does not work but I mapped the Phone function to Button one (middle main button) during testing.

259.22 Storage and 79.55 Program

The dialer looks a lot like the one I preferred on the Omnia i910 and fit in the screen very well.

Outlook is the newer build which is hands down better than the previous versions, it supports ‘Conversations’ or threaded e-mail.

SMS has a glitch where after the recipient is entered the field disappears, so make sure to enter all recipients first. The main text is black on white but the Samsung Text app is black for white text. The black text doesn’t show up here. Annoying quirk but it is not too difficult to overcome.

The Start Menu is very well planned out and has both Windows and Samsung Settings.

The settings are such that unsigned programs will NOT install. I was unable to install Google Maps 4.0. Marketplace was not installed and my cab file for that would not install either. I don’t have the patience to fix this at the moment in time so I will bypass these tests.

Software:

The dialer that is installed is basic but all the functions work as expected. I know that on my i910 I had issues with the mute button but this seems to work fine. I do like the simplicity and basic elegance of this dialer and would love to see it in the instance where the Samsung dialer doesn’t work correctly.

The Smart lock application is installed, I much prefer the way that Samsung handles in-call locking. In a brightly lit environment your phone will lock and unlock off and on during a call, which I find annoying since it makes a chime or a slight vibration when it does.

MyPhone and Swype are cooked in which is important to me.

The ‘Music’ line in Titanium is tied to Windows Media Player, I much prefer the Samsung Touch player for media. I couldn’t find the Samsung Touch player installed so I found the cab and installed it. This application installed without any issues but once launched proved to be scaled down for a smaller screen. I couldn’t get this version to work but I am focusing on what is in the ROM… The library update in Windows Media Player took at least 30 minutes to run and found only the WMA and MP3 files. None of the Videos would play, they are all in DivX.

GPS Test 1: Could not be performed due to only having an unsigned .cab for Google Maps and unable to install from Marketplace.

GPS Test 2: Tom-Tom returned a lot of “invalid OS version’ type of errors but eventually launched. It ran extremely sluggish so I reset the device and tried again. This time it launched a little smoother. Even manually configuring the settings I was unable to obtain a GPS fix. “Location On” in phone settings and External GPS are set to COM6. After performing Test 3 I did not reboot but went into Tom-Tom and had a good fix on 5 satellites and 3 weak fixes.

GPS Test 3: iGo 8 launched and showed no satellites but when I got into the menu it finally picked up 2 with good reception and 2 more with weak signal. After 5 minutes it had a fix on 5 satellites.

The 3D terrain and buildings rendered about the same as the stock ROM did and once it got going ran just fine.

Fit and Finish:

Overall this ROM has potential, I know that Shemmy was in on the ground floor of the kitchen and this one I saved for last as it was one of the first ROMs available for the i920. I think that with a few tweaks that this could be a much more stable ROM.

I think that enough was removed to make it a good “stripped down” option but there were a few things that needed to be left in to make it more solid. Whatever setting is set to prevent unsigned cab files and warn every time an unknown publisher .exe file runs made things a lot more difficult. I have no idea why the GPS had such issues with Tom-Tom but it eventually worked. Maybe another Solar Flare?

The Dialer is just plain charming to me as it reminds me of my old i910 and I appreciate its simple form and function.

The general theme seems to be fair in its execution, giving a more or less Stock Windows look. But I think that too much of the Samsung was left out, I can do without WMP, and the Touch Player is by for more superior.

Edited February 15, 2010 by compnird

[Guest Shemmy]

Just an FYI, I use the screen name Kebero on XDA. It's the same ROM. You may also want to look at the threads for each ROM, where there's plenty of feedback provided (especially in mine, which currently isn't worth using in light of the other ones out there - Yardi's, for example, has just as much free memory and RAM as mine, and it's definitely a more polished and put together product).

Edited February 11, 2010 by Shemmy

[Guest eduuuuu]

The best one so far, for me, is RODRIGOFD O2 LITE ROM 'ULTRA LITE'

stable and it 's got what you need concerning O2,

all the rest is up to you. go ahead and install, enjoy.

A lof of Roms, came up after the release of this one, in Dec 22nd.

I've tried some... but I keep going back to rodrigofd's ultra lite one. Bc it's really good. A keeper.

tks rodrigofd

[Guest Shemmy]

The best one so far, for me, is RODRIGOFD O2 LITE ROM 'ULTRA LITE'

stable and it 's got what you need concerning O2,

all the rest is up to you. go ahead and install, enjoy.

A lof of Roms, came up after the release of this one, in Dec 22nd.

I've tried some... but I keep going back to rodrigofd's ultra lite one. Bc it's really good. A keeper.

tks rodrigofd

This section is just for i920 ROMs. It has nothing to do with the i8000.

[Guest Lancez]

The best one so far, for me, is RODRIGOFD O2 LITE ROM 'ULTRA LITE'

stable and it 's got what you need concerning O2,

all the rest is up to you. go ahead and install, enjoy.

A lof of Roms, came up after the release of this one, in Dec 22nd.

I've tried some... but I keep going back to rodrigofd's ultra lite one. Bc it's really good. A keeper.

tks rodrigofd

u've posted in a wrong section buddy, they r talking about i920 not i8000. but it'll be nice that someone can do the same thing in i8000 section

[Guest compnird]

Just an FYI, I use the screen name Kebero on XDA. It's the same ROM. You may also want to look at the threads for each ROM, where there's plenty of feedback provided (especially in mine, which currently isn't worth using in light of the other ones out there - Yardi's, for example, has just as much free memory and RAM as mine, and it's definitely a more polished and put together product).

Thanks for clearing that up, I kind of figured since they are almost identical listings but wasn't sure.

I won't load a ROM until I read the feedback, gives me an idea of open issues and things I can focus testing on. I hope to rule out "user error" type problems.

And don't be too critical on yourself. It looks to me like you were on the ground floor and helped to open up the i920 ROM scene. We all contribute in our own way, this just happens to be something (live it or hate it) that I can do to try and give back in some way.

[Guest Snow02]

Primary difference between Yardi's builds are that the 23529 has threaded email whereas the 28223 does not. Supposedly the 28 has IE improvements and some other unnoticeables. This is per Yardi's information and my having used both. But you're right, other than that difference they appear to be the same. I will say that the 28223 build, while IE clearly has some tweaks, they aren't quite finished and the 23529 seems to give a more consistent browsing experience (primarily tap zoom related issues). And Shemmy's right, Yardi's package is good. Perfect balance of space and retained functionality with some personal tweaks. Just to get you started...

[Guest compnird]

BUMP, The reviews are live. Please let me know what you think and if they are helpful to assist in making your decision on which ROM build is best for you.

Edited February 12, 2010 by compnird

[Guest amdzero]

Thanks for the review of my custom rom. I'm in the middle of moving right now, but would like to get back in the kitchen and clean up some things, and update to a newer build of winmo.

As a side note, the S2U2 lock program that is installed has a settings menu. If you go there and scroll down to advanced click exceptional EXEs List, you can set programs that you wan't to leave running (ie don't lock them while they are in the foreground).

-OUT!

[Guest levytv]

this was all very helpful reading your reviews and i cant wait for v3 of amdzero. moving sucks good luck.

[Guest Shemmy]

The feedback certainly gives me some ideas and guidelines for what I'd do in a future ROM release. Thanks ;)

[Guest compnird]

Bump: Added the following addendum to the AMDZero 23518 Rom with MobileShell.

UPDATE:

I used this particular ROM for a full weekend and here are some additional findings; The ROM performed quite well overall but had a few quirks that led me to re-load the Stock ROM.

Bad News first:

#1 Most, but not all, incoming phone calls had no audio. I could not hear anything on the other side nor could anyone hear anything on my side. I never had the problem when I placed a call however so had to call almost every inbound call back.

#2 Bluetooth would not keep my profiles. I have 3 bluetooth headsets plus my car and had to re-associate every time. I could not for the life of me figure this one out... maybe it's due to the abundance of devices but I didn't have any issues with the Stock ROM.

#3 Over time the Swype keyboard slowed to a crawl. Text messages or web input take a while for the Swyped input to return a word or possible word list.

The Good news:

#1 SPB Mobile Shell rocks. The 3D text messaging works for viewing inbound texts. The overall menu is just easy and smooth. Could be this was the reason a few other things ran slow but it made this phone downright easy to use. I am a huge fan!

#2 S2U2 lock. After some suggestions from AMD Zero I discovered the full functionality of this application. It's phenomenal! Once you get the hang of it and know what it's capable of you realize just how awesome it is.

#3 Battery Life. I own a primary and backup battery due to my constant use of the phone, I usually go through at least one battery a day. I actually went all day Friday and most of Sat morning on a single battery. That is something, I am a heavy user! Internet, Music, Phone, Text... etc. I USE this phone. Somehow this ROM eked out a bit more than normal from the battery.

[Guest kdkinc]

Great review section for i920 rom's

I believe most of the chefs have revisions to these rom's .

Would you have the time to revisit some of these fine rom's??

THANK YOU for your efforts...

<_< :mellow:

[Guest steveplatinum]

I'd just like to point out that the Yardi4Life ROM is the only one with office on it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I really like this ROM otherwise also!!

[Guest kdkinc]

I'd just like to point out that the Yardi4Life ROM is the only one with office on it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I really like this ROM otherwise also!!

Having it added in by the rom is nice .

However if you don't use it then its a waste of memory space.

Having the option to go to Marketplace and downloading it a better option I believe.

Semi stripped rom's let you add what you need and not have to sometimes fight to delete whats cook in.(IMHO) :P

Were fortunate to have several chef's that are doing there best to keeps us Flashing.

:( :(

Edited April 2, 2010 by kdkinc

[Guest surgex]

Having it added in by the rom is nice .

However if you don't use it then its a waste of memory space.

Having the option to go to Marketplace and downloading it a better option I believe.

Semi stripped rom's let you add what you need and not have to sometimes fight to delete whats cook in.(IMHO) ;)

Were fortunate to have several chef's that are doing there best to keeps us Flashing.

;) ;)

Just to correct you, I have not been able to get Office for free from the marketplace (unless I'm doing something wrong?) -- it says it costs 30$.

I opted to go with Softmaker's office instead though, and I like it alot better -- it even comes with a printing utility that works rather well.

[Guest edwinabaez]

flash_amdzero_23518_v3 first let me thank you for a great rom.Thank you Thank you with that being said Where is the market place app.I can find it nor load it I tried to download it but I cant because I m running 6.5

[Guest amdzero]

flash_amdzero_23518_v3 first let me thank you for a great rom.Thank you Thank you with that being said Where is the market place app.I can find it nor load it I tried to download it but I cant because I m running 6.5

I opted for omarket as this is the open source version of an "app store" having developed software free of charge/use.

you can find Marketplace below (a quick google search is your friend).

marketplacebootstrap.cab

[Guest me4now]

Thank you very much for doing this!

Fantastic work!

[Guest edwinabaez]

I opted for omarket as this is the open source version of an "app store" having developed software free of charge/use.

you can find Marketplace below (a quick google search is your friend).

marketplacebootstrap.cab

Thanks again market place on board.

flash_amdzero_23518_v3 been using this rom for few days everything run great. However VCAST videos clips will not load. I am able to load program on phone but when I try to play videos it say "unable to load clip" ?

[Guest amdzero]

Thanks again market place on board.

flash_amdzero_23518_v3 been using this rom for few days everything run great. However VCAST videos clips will not load. I am able to load program on phone but when I try to play videos it say "unable to load clip" ?

I am unfamiliar with vcast as I have removed vz stuff from my ROMs. Could you walk me through the steps so that I may track down the problem and try to fix it?

[Guest Mastertwiz]

Can anyone recommend software or an analysis tool we could use to quantitatively benchmark the three most popular i920 Roms (Yardi's, Ninja's, AMD's - in no particular order)? I've been flashing and re-flashing between all three (Yardi's Lite, AMD's Lite, and Ninja V8), trying to figure out which rom is best suited for throttlelauncher. It's hard to tell with the differences in stock storage, available RAM, and differences in memory management and gesture smoothing between 6.5 and 6.5.3.

I know preferences between the three ROMs will differ between the users and their respective applications, but if the O2 is being pushed to keep up with the HD2 and other quicker phones, it would be nice to know which ROM is optimized for UIs like SPBMobileShell, Throttlelauncher, WAD, Android emulators, etc.

[Guest Omega Ra]

Can anyone recommend software or an analysis tool we could use to quantitatively benchmark the three most popular i920 Roms (Yardi's, Ninja's, AMD's - in no particular order)? I've been flashing and re-flashing between all three (Yardi's Lite, AMD's Lite, and Ninja V8), trying to figure out which rom is best suited for throttlelauncher. It's hard to tell with the differences in stock storage, available RAM, and differences in memory management and gesture smoothing between 6.5 and 6.5.3.

I know preferences between the three ROMs will differ between the users and their respective applications, but if the O2 is being pushed to keep up with the HD2 and other quicker phones, it would be nice to know which ROM is optimized for UIs like SPBMobileShell, Throttlelauncher, WAD, Android emulators, etc.

I use throttle launcher with fireslave's WP7 theme on Yardi's ROM and it runs fine